Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Earns First USL Championship Crown

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Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Earns First USL Championship Crown

November 25, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has reached the mountaintop.

Behind goals from Juan Tejada, Jairo Henriquez and Ronaldo Damus, the Switchbacks capped their 10th anniversary season with a first league title with a 3-0 victory against Rhode Island FC in the 2024 USL Championship Final before a sellout crowd of 8,023 fans at Weidner Field.

Tejada claimed Championship Final MVP honors after scoring the game-winning goal in his second consecutive postseason outing, highlighting an outstanding all-around display by Head Coach James Chambers' side.

The victory maintained the Switchbacks' perfect postseason record at home since the opening of Weidner Field in 2021, while ending Rhode Island's aspiration of becoming the first team to win the Championship title in its inaugural season since Sacramento Republic FC in 2014. Colorado Springs' win also marked the fifth consecutive Championship Final won by the Western Conference representative.

The hosts set the tempo from the opening kickoff. After almost taking the lead after just 36 seconds when Yosuke Hanya sent a one-on-one opportunity wide of the right post, they broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. Hayna capped a patient spell of possession when he cut past his marker on the right flank toward the byline and delivered a perfect cross for Tejada to volley home from close range.

The Switchbacks built on their opening goal and three minutes before halftime doubled their lead on a sublime finish by Henriquez. The El Salvador international latched onto a pass by Tejada into the left channel, and while his initial effort was blocked at the top-left edge of the penalty area, he struck a sweet second effort that curled into the top-left corner of the net.

Colorado Springs added its third in the 53rd minute, capitalizing off a Rhode Island corner kick when a blocked shot came to Damus 20 yards inside his own half but without a defender ahead of him. The Haitian international surged up-field with two RIFC players in pursuit but slotted his shot home into the bottom-left corner for his ninth goal in the USL Championship Playoffs all-time, equaling the league's postseason record.

Rhode Island tried to find a way back into the game and came closest to finding the net just past the hour-mark when Frank Nodarse had a strong header to the bottom-right corner denied by a brilliant diving save by Switchbacks goalkeeper Christian Herrera. Damus, meanwhile, almost capped the performance with his second goal of the game in stoppage time, forcing a sharp save by RIFC's Koke Vegas, but it proved academic as the hosts saw out a comprehensive victory.

2024 USL Championship Final MVP

Juan Tejada, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - The Panamanian forward scored the opening goal of the game and had an outstanding all-around performance, tying for the team-high winning possession on six occasions.

Scoring Summary

COS - Juan Tejada (Yosuke Hanya) 22'

COS - Jairo Henriquez 42'

COS - Ronaldo Damus (Matt Real) 53'

2024 USL Championship Final Postgame Quotes

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Head Coach James Chambers

On winning the first league title in club history.

We said at the start of preseason, it was going to be a 38-game season. We never looked at it as in the Quarterfinal, Semifinal, Conference Final, Championship, but we always looked at it as a certain number of games. We took that approach today, and it was the game, not the occasion, and that ultimately put the players in a good spot. And then, honestly, I thought that performance for a final was absolutely wonderful. I really did. For a final, it's difficult and there's a lot going on. I thought they were superb.

On how special this win is for the City of Colorado Springs

Yeah, it's massive. Like, look, it's 10 o'clock in the morning, and we walked out, and this place was on wheels. That's what we want. They were unbelievable today. And honestly, I think they frightened the opponent a little bit, to be completely honest with you. I'm really proud of everybody coming out this morning and just giving the players as much energy as possible. I think they fed off that, they gave it back. I think we can call this place some fortress now.

On winning the USL Championship in his first season as a Head Coach

I don't see it like that. I don't see it about me. I genuinely don't see that. I see it as, we've had players here and we've all wanted to achieve the same thing. It's the players who have been here since '21 and came in '22 and came last year. And it's almost the next step, and thankfully, we took the next step today and got over the line. It's the players that do it. It's the players that win games, not coaches.

On how they were able to set the tempo and control the game

We knew that they were going to come and be physical. We had a solution, but if they pressed us over in a 3-5-2, or if they were in a 5-3-1-1, we had different solutions, and nobody found that it was our fullbacks that were going to make the game today. It was their decisions on the ball that would open up passing lines, either beyond or centrally, and I think we adapted to that really, really well, regardless of what they threw at us. And, look the boys were ready to go. It wasn't a nervous energy and a nervous tension around the building or in the locker room before the game. And they came out and they showed that with their performance.

On the consistency of top performances across the lineup

I had seven on the bench or four that were standing up here watching the game. I think I could have put anybody in the field. They would have put that performance in. That's why this group was so special, because they don't want to win. They're willing to do anything to win, and that's the difference.

On celebrating the victory and looking ahead to a title defense

I think we have to enjoy this and savor this moment, to try and bottle it and go, 'OK, we'd love to be back here.' We know how difficult it is, but that's the ambition, that's where you always want to be.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC forward Juan Tejada - Final MVP

On the emotion of winning the league title for the first time

When I came off the bench, I just remember all the emotions throughout the season. We had a lot of ups and downs. Me personally, this is a year where [my family] had a baby, and it's been a crazy adaptation. I've not been performing the way I wanted on the pitch throughout the season, but to give back to the players, the staff that trusted in me every single, every single time in the season, it's amazing.

On the belief Switchbacks Head Coach James Chambers showed in him

I mean, it's a moment I will never forget. James Chambers, our coach, always believed in me. He called me in before the final against Las Vegas and said, 'You know you've been amazing for the team. I know you've been wanting to do more, but just go on there and express yourself. Show people how good you are.' And just to score against Las Vegas, and now just score again in this final in front of everybody from Colorado Springs, is amazing. I'll never forget this moment."

On the atmosphere before a sellout crowd at Weidner Field

It's literally like the 12th man. Like you say, in football, you're playing with 12 players, the whole fans were screaming the whole game, the whole 95 minutes, and we're like a community here. I know we're a Second Division team, but that's how it feels, a very tight-knit community. And Colorado Springs has been really growing in the soccer atmosphere, and we hope to bring it to even another level.

On what he saw on the opening goal of the game

I mean, Yosuke [Hanya] in one-to-one situations is amazing. And as a striker, I just sniff those moments, and I just knew that he's going to take his man, and luckily the ball found me and I could just push it in and give that one-zero lead.

On what this season and his success with the Switchbacks means

I was on the east coast for most of my career before coming here, so I was not very familiar with all this scene. But just coming here, the stadium is first-class, the owners, the staff, everybody here just has a winning mentality. I wasn't here, but they lost the Western Conference Final in 2022, so to come back here again and bring them the trophy at home, it's just special.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC captain Matt Mahoney

On winning a Championship Final with former teammate James Chambers as Head Coach

I mean, just so happy. We've been through so much together. First Chambo and me as teammates, like, that's actually incredible. [Switchbacks Sporting Director Stephen Hogan] signed me to my first contract with Brendan [Burke] back in 2017, it is kind of a full-circle moment, it's incredible. So honestly, I'm so happy for him, Chambo, first-year coach that that I could do this for him. You know, he's more than my coach and my friend off the field. So, I'm very happy for him.

On producing the performance the side did in winning the title

I mean, last week, honestly, in a lot of ways, was tougher than this week's game. Just a different opponent, the way they played and had a lot of the ball, but character comes to mind. We wanted to group that even if it's a little less talented in some areas, we had a lot of character, and we were able to fight through those moments, stick together. Last week, [goalkeeper] Chris [Herrera] stood on his head, people blocking shots. We were saying in the locker room, 'we have to do what we need to do to win the game.' We've done it the past few games.

On the mood in the locker room pregame, and how that translated to the Final

I think there's natural, anxious energy in a game like this. It's the USL final, but we're at home. We've done this now. This is our 38th game this season, you know, and we were at home. We knew what the energy was going to be like, and we know when we start fast that it's tough for teams here to hang with the altitude. We were able to do that, get a goal early, and then, you know, they were trailing. It was tough for them to come back.

On the collective mindset in the Switchbacks' squad

People are always upset when you left out of a team for the first 11 for the Final, you know, but we had a couple injuries, guys come in and look at what they did. Quenzi [Huermann] was excellent, you know, Juan [Tejada] hadn't started a lot of the games at the start of the year then comes in at the end of the season, he was our best player, most important player so super-proud of those guys. It's just a mentality that we're trying to build here, a team first mentality and we showed that.

Rhode Island FC Head Coach Khano Smith

On his initial reaction to the Final

I'm disappointed with today. I don't think we played well, but overall, so proud of them, for them to reach this moment in the first year. Like it sucks in this, but when we have time to reflect, we should be really proud of what we've done and what they've done, and [it's] just the beginning. That's a club that's been around for 10 years. Credit to them, they were outstanding today, we just couldn't deal with it. But their club has been around for 10 years. We've been around for one, so that's what we're chasing and that's what we want."

On handling Colorado Springs' pressure during the game

We knew they were going to press us, but you know, it's one thing, preparing to deal with pressure, and then once you're in the moment and facing it is different. We couldn't handle it. They pressed us good. We need to see why that was, but again, credit to them. I thought they were excellent.

On the hundreds of Rhode Island fans that made traveled to Colorado Springs

It meant everything. They supported us from day one. And look, we're just building something, and they're such a key part of it. So yeah, just so grateful that all of them have come, just how they behave and carry themselves, it's a real football, soccer culture that we're building.

Rhode Island FC captain Koke Vegas

On his reflection on the game

It's difficult to explain how you feel right now, of course, it hurts a lot, even though it is our first season, even though nobody was expecting us in here. All those things are true. But once that you are here, you want to win, and for sure, when you when you lose these kind of games, it hurts a lot. But even though it hurts a lot, and it's such a difficult moment, I think we have to be proud, proud about the season that we did, proud to be here. This is better than to be at home, and you never know when you are going to be here again in the USL Championship Final, you never know when you're going to have an end of the season that's same as we did this year. So yeah, it says that we are very proud of every single one in here.

On what the Switchbacks did to disrupt their game

I think they did really well. Obviously, you have a little bit of handicap when you play away, when you play at altitude, all those things, but they are not an excuse. Their energy at the beginning, I think was better than us. Probably, that's the case you know, like be here, they start a little bit better than us with your people here that supports you, even though we have our fans, but they have, I don't know, 7,000. So, yeah, probably that was the point that they had a little bit more.

On his message to the fans at the end of the club's first season

You have to be proud. Hopefully you guys are proud of us. I'm really proud of every single one. And when I say every single one, it is not only the club, it's the people that is outside the club, the people that are following us, the people that move from Rhode Island to watch us play of games, to watch regular season games. This is amazing. I think if you remember my first interview when I arrived, I say we want to build something special on and off the pitch, and I think we are doing that. So, we have to be really proud with the people that are supporting us here, that you can help them, to those guys that now sometimes someone is crying, people with the family. It helps, but we're going to be back. This is our first season, we're going to be back, for sure.


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